This invention relates generally to a folding knife having tools provided therein.
Folding knives have been available for some time and offer the basic feature of a compact cutting tool which may be readily carried in the user's pocket, purse, or other small compartment. Folding knives also offer the advantage, as compared to fixed blade knives such as sheath knives, kitchen knives, or the like, in that while the blade of a folding knife is in a retracted position, it is safely carried within the blade compartment of a handle. Therefore, no separate sheath or other protective covering is required. Accordingly, folding knives allow the advantages of providing, when the blade is in extended position, a useable cutting tool, and when in a retracted position, a self-contained protective housing in the form of the folding knife handle.
A typical disadvantage of a folding knife, as compared to a fixed blade knife, is that the blade of a folding knife may not lock when in the extended position, thereby presenting a potential risk of closure or partial closure of the blade into the handle when in use. Such closure could, of course, injure the user of the knife. While folding knives are available having a mechanism for locking the blade in an extended position, such folding knives often require the user to use both hands in order to release the locking mechanism for closing the blade into the handle. Conventional folding knife locking mechanisms may also be of a construction requiring tightly toleranced parts and construction methods, in addition to requiring numerous and relatively expensive parts for construction.
Turning now to the background for the tool aspect of the present invention, it is desirable to provide a compact arrangement of tools which can be carried in a toolbox, glove compartment of an automobile, desk, kitchen drawer, or preferably, in the user's pocket. By providing a number of tools in a compact arrangement, the user can perform a number of different operations using the single, compact design. The user may desire to have a particular arrangement of tools to perform particular types of services. For example, the user may want to have a compact arrangement of tools to perform mechanical or electrical repairs of a general nature, or may want to have a tool arrangement for performing specific functions, such as for firearm repair and adjustment, or for boating repairs, automotive work, instrument adjustments, etc.
Various folding knife configurations have been patented, and include U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,379, issued to Neely, which discloses a folding knife having a blade with a slot which acts in cooperation with a pin and spring to selectively lock the blade in an extended position. German patent Offenlegungsschrift 2,254,433, discloses a pocketknife spring housing having a spring operating piece for allowing a square tool pivot to latch in use in transport positions. A housing is provided constructed of plastic and/or metal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,995, issued to Opinel, discloses a folding knife having a spring molded to an intermediate member, which is pressed into a wood handle.
Also known are folding knives having a liner lock, wherein a metal liner is provided in a blade handle and the liner includes a biased cantilevered portion for locking an outwardly extending blade.
Patented knife and tool combinations include U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,289, issued to Gibbs, which discloses a handle having a blade member and a tool member. U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,508, issued to Garrett, discloses a golfer's tool having blade and tool member implements.
Tool arrangements in a relatively compact form are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,768, issued to Saxby, which discloses Allen wrenches extending from hub members. U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,801, issued to Yates, discloses a tool set having tool members which may be extended from a tool-holding body. U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,970, issued to Kuc, et al., discloses a wrench holder having bolts for carrying hex keys and wrenches thereon.
While the foregoing designs are known, there still exists a need for a folding knife having a positively locking blade and tool members which can be selectively locked in extended positions during use.